TY - JOUR
T1 - Statins and cognitive function in the elderly
T2 - The Cardiovascular Health Study
AU - Bernick, C.
AU - Katz, R.
AU - Smith, N. L.
AU - Rapp, S.
AU - Bhadelia, R.
AU - Carlson, M.
AU - Kuller, L.
N1 - Funding Information:
Supported by contracts N01-HC-85079 through N01-HC-85086, N01-HC-35129, and N01 HC-15103 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
PY - 2005/11/8
Y1 - 2005/11/8
N2 - Objective: To examine the association of statin drug use on cognitive and MRI change in older adults. Methods: Participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a longitudinal study of people age 65 or older, were classified into three groups determined by whether they were taking statin drugs on a continuous basis, intermittently, or not at all. The untreated group was further divided into categories based on National Cholesterol Education Program recommendations for lipid-lowering treatment. Participants with prevalent or incident clinical TIA or stroke or with baseline Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) scores at or below 80 were excluded. Outcomes examined included rate of change on the 3MS over an average observational period of 7 years, along with changes in MRI white matter grade and measures of atrophy. Results: Three thousand three hundred thirty-four participants had adequate data for analysis. At baseline, the untreated group in which lipid-lowering drug treatment was recommended were slightly older, less likely to be on estrogen replacement, and had higher serum cholesterol and lower 3MS scores than the statin-treated group. The rate of decline on the 3MS was 0.48 point/year less in those taking statins compared with the untreated group for which treatment was recommended (p = 0.069) and 0.49 point/year less in statin users compared with the group in which lipid-lowering treatment was not recommended (p = 0.009). This effect remained after controlling for serum cholesterol levels. One thousand seven hundred thirty participants with baseline 3MS scores of >80 underwent cranial MRI scans on two occasions separated by 5 years. There was no significant difference in white matter grade change or atrophy measures between groups. Conclusion: Statin drug use was associated with a slight reduction in cognitive decline in an elderly population. This relationship could not be completely explained by the effect of statins on lowering of serum cholesterol.
AB - Objective: To examine the association of statin drug use on cognitive and MRI change in older adults. Methods: Participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study, a longitudinal study of people age 65 or older, were classified into three groups determined by whether they were taking statin drugs on a continuous basis, intermittently, or not at all. The untreated group was further divided into categories based on National Cholesterol Education Program recommendations for lipid-lowering treatment. Participants with prevalent or incident clinical TIA or stroke or with baseline Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MS) scores at or below 80 were excluded. Outcomes examined included rate of change on the 3MS over an average observational period of 7 years, along with changes in MRI white matter grade and measures of atrophy. Results: Three thousand three hundred thirty-four participants had adequate data for analysis. At baseline, the untreated group in which lipid-lowering drug treatment was recommended were slightly older, less likely to be on estrogen replacement, and had higher serum cholesterol and lower 3MS scores than the statin-treated group. The rate of decline on the 3MS was 0.48 point/year less in those taking statins compared with the untreated group for which treatment was recommended (p = 0.069) and 0.49 point/year less in statin users compared with the group in which lipid-lowering treatment was not recommended (p = 0.009). This effect remained after controlling for serum cholesterol levels. One thousand seven hundred thirty participants with baseline 3MS scores of >80 underwent cranial MRI scans on two occasions separated by 5 years. There was no significant difference in white matter grade change or atrophy measures between groups. Conclusion: Statin drug use was associated with a slight reduction in cognitive decline in an elderly population. This relationship could not be completely explained by the effect of statins on lowering of serum cholesterol.
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U2 - 10.1212/01.wnl.0000182897.18229.ec
DO - 10.1212/01.wnl.0000182897.18229.ec
M3 - Article
C2 - 16275825
AN - SCOPUS:27644511663
SN - 0028-3878
VL - 65
SP - 1388
EP - 1394
JO - Neurology
JF - Neurology
IS - 9
ER -